Ron Sinkkanen has left us

Ronald Victor Sinkkanen died May 10, 2015, at Tisch Hospital, NYU Langone Medical Center. He was 73 years old.

A native New Yorker, he was born in Manhattan but grew up in Queens. Ron’s maternal and paternal grandparents were all from Finland, his grandfather Victor Sinkkanen from Mänttä, and his mother Helmi Jussila from Imatra. Though his mother was actually born in Massachusetts, her family returned to Imatra where she raised, coming back to the US as a young woman and eventually marrying Victor (Dick) Sinkkanen Jr.

Ron was proud of his Finnish heritage, espousing its music and design. He traveled throughout Finland on a number of occasions, most recently in 2014 visiting the many cousins and enjoying the museums and concert halls. As always when traveling, he took hundreds of photos, many shadow or reflection shots—his own version of the ‘selfie’. He was an excellent photographer with a creative eye, and his skills extended to the design of his Christmas cards for many years.

He graduated from Brooklyn Tech HS, majoring in architecture. While attending Hofstra he decided that field was not for him. He began his career with an advertising firm, then joined Allied Lettercraft Company, first in the art department, later as a client services account exec. He worked there for almost 40 years before the company closed in 2008 and he was retired.

Ron vowed to enjoy life to the utmost once that happened, and did so even when, in 2013, he was diagnosed with two primary cancers in lung and pancreas. It may be said that Ronald Sinkkanen truly had sisu. During his two-year bout with cancer, he displayed a zest for living that defied the odds.

Radiation, chemotherapy and surgery prolonged his ability to live and travel extensively. He created his ‘blog’, a diary written daily and emailed about once a week to friends and relatives, chronicling his progress. In spite of hopeful expectations regarding a new immunotherapy treatment, complications from the cancer won out, and breathing became increasingly difficult. In the end, there was nothing the medical team could do. Ron died peacefully, with Lynne Cherry, his partner of many years, and several of his friends at his side.

He is survived by his nephews, Dustin and Bryen Sinkkanen, cousins Art Arro and Leslie and Richard DiBona, and their families. He and Lynne were longtime Finland Center members and attended nearly every concert and other event we arranged. He will be missed.

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The memorial service for Ron Sinkkanen will be held on:

Saturday, June 27

3:00pm

Scandinavia House, Volvo Hall

58 Park Avenue (37-38th Streets)

Please RSVP ASAP, to info@finlandcenter.org, whether or not you will be able to attend.